C o m p l i c a t e d
by Hnuie
Summary: Reno's not sure if he wants to mess with Tifa's mind or comfort her. After a visit to her bar, his feelings become rather complicated. [RenoxTifa fluff .. Rated for minor language and alcohol references.]
1. You can't be close enough

**Story Title:**_ Complicated  
_**Rating: **_T  
_**Genre: **_Romance and Drama  
_**Disclaimer:**_ All characters do not belong to me and are copyrighted to their respective owners.  
__**A/N: **I haven't been a particular fan of RenoxTifa but after stumbling upon some adorable images of them I decided to take a shot at this. The events take place some months before FF7AC in Reno's perspective. I apologize if Reno's character isn't as "funny" or "comical" as most would expect him to be, but he seemed to have a very coy and sly character that wasn't expressed much. Tell me what you think, and if you enjoyed the story please look forward to the next (and last) chapter._

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**Chapter 1**

_You can't be close enough_

I walked through a small alleyway in town. People stared at me as I walked by, their eyes peeling onto me. I don't know why they always stared; maybe it was my clothes, or my hair. It's not like you see someone walking around in a suit with flaming red hair all the time. And it's not _my_ fault I'm always in full uniform–I was always on the job after all. Regardless, they didn't stare long enough to see me disappear into a building in the alleyway. The sign above it read: **_Tifa's 7th Heaven_**.

It was a small bar, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it was one of the best places to get a drink. But today it seemed like no one was in the mood for getting drunk–it was completely empty. I took a seat at the counter and whistled a tune to fill in the silence. Since the door was open, someone must still be here. I didn't have to wait long before I saw a familiar face coming down to check who could be bothering them on a day off.

"Yo." I waved to Tifa. When she saw me, she blinked, surprised.

"Reno!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "What brings you here?"

"I thought Cloud would be here."

She laughed a bit. "Well, as you should remember he rarely is."

"Oh. Then maybe you can treat me to a drink since I walked all the way here?" I grinned.

Tifa sighed quietly, then she looked at me and smiled. "I could use some company."

As she poured me a drink, I realized it was rather quiet in the bar. There were no signs of the two kids I always see running around, the fans above the ceiling weren't moving, and though the windows were open it was silent. Was it always this quiet during the few times I came to get a drink here? Something in me wanted to ask, but I kept my mouth shut and sipped the drink Tifa had placed on the counter for me.

She had poured herself a drink as well and sat one seat away from me. In other words, we were separated by one measly seat. I never found myself attracted to her much (not that she _isn't_ attractive), but now that we were alone, I finally realized how much of a _man_ and _woman_ we were than just _people_.

I kept my thoughts to myself and hoped she didn't realize that I was beginning to feel slightly awkward. Her long, silky black hair hung over her sturdy shoulders, and the black outfit she wore pressed tightly against her body. It showed the feature of her curves perfectly–I tried not to stare too much.

"Why did you need to see Cloud?" Tifa asked after a long silence.

I grinned, holding my glass cup to my mouth. "To get him to join us." As I gulped down the last of my drink I took a glance at Tifa. She was staring at her cup, her hands that were free from the prison of her gloves looked rather small as they lay on the counter. I placed my glass down on the counter and stood up to leave. "Thanks for the drink. Whenever that blonde shows up, tell him I dropped by."

Just as I was about to turn the door knob to leave, Tifa suddenly asked, "Why do you insist on pursuing him?"

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow. This wasn't the first time she questioned me about it, but it's been a while since she has. "Why, you ask? Because he can help us."

"To rebuild ShinRa Corp? That's folly." her eyes didn't betray a word she said. I never knew how intense her stare was. I shifted my weight, suddenly feeling uncomfortable beneath the gaze of her amber eyes. "He's got the reputation we need to get the peoples' help." I leaned against the wall. At this point, Tifa was glaring at me. I continued. "If Cloud, a trusted citizen is with us, the people will practically bow down to our demands. How can it go wrong?"

"Cloud will never submit to you." Tifa's voice rang strong. She sounded so confident, I had to laugh.

"Cloud may be strong physically, but he's not that strong up _here_." I pointed to my head. For a moment, a fleeting look of despair flashed across Tifa's face, then she once again looked determined. But she knew as well as I what I meant. After a few seconds, I realized the conversation wasn't getting anywhere and decided to leave for good. "Make sure you tell him." I said, returning my attention to leaving.

"No."

I stopped. I turned back around, squinting my eyes are her in disbelief. "What?"

"No." she repeated. "I will not tell Cloud that you came by."

I laughed. If I were any other guy, I would've shoved off her comment and leave anyway. But I'm not–I'm Reno. As much of a cocky bastard Rude and the Turks often called me, it was something I valued. Maybe I had too much confidence, I don't know. But at the moment, this woman dared look at me with the same confidence in her eyes. I ticked me off. I walked closer to her.

"Why not?" I said, my voice low and quiet. "Is it that hard for you to trust Cloud?"

She looked hurt for a second. But she looked back without blinking, not stepping away as I moved closer. I placed my hand on the counter and leaned toward her, whispering, "I think you're afraid."

She said nothing.

"Why don't you try putting more faith in him?" I suggested casually. "If you don't like it, just tell him."

"I won't tell him what to do." she finally said, her hands clenching into fists.

"Right." It wasn't that hard to see that she was an independent woman. Yet it always seemed as if she were denying something within herself. I leaned closer, our faces barley inches apart. Her sweet scent filled my nostrils. She looked so much smaller than she appeared now that I was hovering above her. Does Cloud ever notice these details?

"You know what I think? I think you're afraid of putting faith in him."

She could've smacked me a good one right then and there, I was letting my guard down after all by taking advantage of the situation. I didn't mean to tease her so much, but I couldn't help it. Rude had often told me not to get on Tifa's bad side since we needed to somehow gain her trust. If he found out I had just been put on Tifa's hit list, he'd kill me. That is, if Tifa didn't kill me first.

"Get away from me." Tifa demanded coldly.

"Why?" I asked, testing her patience.

"You're standing too close."

"Heh," I chuckled. "Well, excuse me."

I stepped away but she still did not relax her hands. I took another glance at her. She didn't look happy at all. I took this as a victory and decided it was about time to leave. I had spent more time here than I intended. "You obviously don't trust me," I said before I left. "But I trust that you won't tell Cloud about this incident, will you?"

I disappeared out the door without waiting for a response. She wouldn't have said anything anyway. As I walked away from the little alley street, the same eyes that were staring at me before were no longer staring. I wasn't worried about that though–I felt bad for upsetting Tifa. I never do, but I did. Maybe it was the way she was looking at me. I swear, that stare of hers can burn a whole in someone's skin. It was a confident look, but I saw something more behind them... unhappiness? Geez, this woman is making me feel more distorted than I already do.

- - -

I stepped inside my office in the rusty old building we were living in. It was located in a mountain pass surrounded by a jungle of trees. My office was average sized, with a little doorway to the left that lead to my bedroom (which was even smaller). I sat down in my chair, leaning my head against the back. After a few seconds someone knocked on the door.

"What?" I called. I wasn't in the mood for visitors.

The door opened and Rude stepped in. Like me, he was wearing the same business suit, besides the sunglasses. As usual he stared at me beneath his shades with that stern look of his. It's surprising that he doesn't have any wrinkles when he frowns so much.

"You took longer than you said you were going to take." Rude said, getting to the point.

"Yeah, well, things happen." I replied lazily.

"Cloud wasn't there?" Rude guessed.

"Bingo."

"..."

The silence meant that he wanted to know what was it that took me. It wasn't like him to ask, and it wasn't like me to answer his silence. But I decided to tell him anyway, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I had a little chat with Ms. Lockheart."

Rude's eyebrows shot down into an even sharper frown. "You upset her?"

"That's right."

"...Reno."

I looked at him. "What?"

"Apologize to her."

"What?!" I shot up from my seat, almost knocking the chair down. "I didn't come all the way here just to be told to go back!"

"And that's just what I'm telling you to do."

"Geez..." I looked around for some sort of escape route but there was none–besides the window. I wasn't going to risk a broken arm for _this_ though. "She'll get over it."

"Then try again in another week."

"Hey, I already tried looking for Cloud's ass today, it's _your_ turn."

"I have other things to do." Rude said, heading out the door. "Otherwise, talk to Rufus."

He shut the door when he left, leaving me to ponder my thoughts alone.

There were a lot of reasons I could find about _not_ going to apologize. For one, I don't like apologizing for things that happened in the past. If I were going to apologize for something I did then I shouldn't have done it in the first place. And secondly, if I went back Tifa really might want to pick a fight. Then again, she's a more composed person so maybe it'll be _me_ picking a fight. Regardless, I didn't want to go back. I didn't want to be looked at with that stare of hers, I didn't want to see her sitting at the counter all alone, I didn't want to be in that silent atmosphere.

I didn't want to see her sad smile.

...Am I going crazy? When did I start noticing these things? Was it just because for that one time, I happened to have been alone with her? Was I that much of an idiot that I never realized how lonely she looked?

No. I always knew. From the time that I met her she had always been an easy person to read. Her eyes betrayed her emotions which revealed her thoughts. It wasn't hard to decipher what she wanted to say. Maybe that was why I teased her, I wanted to see how far she'd go for what she believed in. Her spirit was admirable, but someday she'd break. I know it. Her eyes looked far too dry as if she had forgotten to cry. Not that I was a crybaby with watery eyes, but for a woman it was too sad.

- - -

The next time I went to the same alley street, I finally found Cloud. He was just about to enter the bar when I called out, "Yo!"

He turned around, not too surprised. His blonde hair and blue eyes were peculiar in this gloomy day of time, but it made it a lot easier to find him. He didn't look like he wanted to talk, of course he didn't. He turned his back to me and proceeded to enter _Tifa's 7th Heaven_, but there was no way in hell I was going back in there.

"Let's take a walk." I suggested.

Cloud glanced at me suspiciously.

"It'll be quick."

He agreed and came with me. We walked a ways from the busy streets so no one would overhear our conversation. He didn't say a word, and only followed me quietly. That was just like him.

"Where have you been?" I asked jokingly. "We've been looking for you."

"Why do you persist on finding me?" he ignored my last statement.

I chuckled. "Someone asked me that too."

He looked at me, puzzled, but didn't ask.

"But what I find more amusing," I continued. "Is that though you decline, you still listen to us."

"..."

Silence. Cold as ever, Cloud was. But he knew I spoke the truth.

"How is Tifa doing?" I asked.

He looked at me with the same puzzled expression before turning away to ponder my question, "I didn't get to see her yet."

"Ah, because I came, huh? Did you want to see her?"

"..."

"You should've told me, I would have waited." I grinned, though he didn't see me because he was looking straight ahead.

"We're not here to talk about that." Cloud said sternly.

"Heh, I just wanted to ask."

Cloud obviously had a sense of overprotectiveness about Tifa, but he never showed it. The fact that he didn't want to talk to her was proof of that, not because he disliked her. I was another _man_ after all, and a dangerous one at that (not that I'm bragging).

The rest of the walk filled with my useless comments and Cloud's silence. We eventually returned to the alley street of Tifa's bar. I found myself staring at the entryway, wondering if I should go inside or not. Instead I parted ways with Cloud there. If I had told him about the conversation I had with Tifa earlier, what would he have done? What would he have thought? Regardless, even if I didn't tell him, they would've solved all their issues sooner or later. They only have each other after all.

For some reason, the thought of that hurt me.


	2. Unless I'm feeling your heartbeat

**Story Title:**_ Complicated  
_**Rating: **_T  
_**Genre: **_Romance and Drama  
_**Disclaimer:**_ All characters do not belong to me and are copyrighted to their respective owners.  
__**A/N:** Here it is, the last chapter (already). I didn't want the story to drag on too much. The writing of this chapter went by fluidly, I enjoyed it very much and I hope you do too. I apologize if it disappoints though. Nonetheless, please tell me what you think. And so, until fate brings us together again..._

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**Chapter 2**

_Unless I'm feeling your heartbeat_

It had been two weeks since my last visit to Tifa's 7th Heaven. During that time, Rude used any chance he got to remind me that I still needed to apologize to her. Because of this I had avoided him by roaming the city whenever I could. And as crazy as it seemed, I found myself walking around with a guilty conscience. This annoying feeling of guilt wouldn't go away–it drove me nuts. And now, here I was, lying on the bed in a small hotel just two streets away from Tifa's bar.

The stuffy air and dim lighting did nothing to lighten my mood. Plus it couldn't keep me from thinking about the dreaded subject: To apologize or not to apologize?

As I battled with myself, someone knocked on the door. My cellphone had hundreds of missed calls and for two weeks I received no visitors–who dares knock now? I didn't answer it. Apparently though, the person knocking wasn't expecting any sort of welcome. The door swung opened and someone stepped in. The heavy footsteps of a man echoed in the quiet hotel room. When he came into view, I took no time in glaring at him.

"Enjoying yourself, Reno?" chuckled Tseng, pacing into the room, his dark eyes scanning the walls. "I thought you preferred bigger areas, like one fit for a king."

"Sorry to disappoint, but yours truly needs to keep a low profile." I placed my pillow over my head, covering my face.

"Rude tells me you angered Ms. Lockheart." I heard Tseng say. "You know that if we upset her it's less likely for Cloud to join us, right?"

I sighed heavily, pulling the pillow off my face. "I know!"

Tseng's eyebrows narrowed. "Then start acting like you do. We will not lose this chance to rebuild ShinRa just because your ego has no room for consideration."

"I'll keep that in mind." I said sarcastically. "I don't understand why Cloud needs approval from a woman for what he does anyway." I stared off into the distance, thinking of what I just said.

The approval of a woman, huh? At least Cloud's got one waiting patiently for him. Me? I ain't got no one. It's not so bad either, I don't ever have to worry about what I do. The day comes and goes, it's repeating cycle.

Yet... when I saw Tifa all by herself that day... I felt a longing for something different.

After a moment, Tseng asked, "You don't care if ShinRa isn't rebuilt?"

"It's not that I don't care!" I shot back quickly. I hated it when people misunderstood. "I just don't like the fact that we are relying so much on Cloud's butt when we can do it on our own!"

"You really think so?"

"I believe so."

Tseng shook his head as if he were speaking to a child. "If it was so, Rufus wouldn't be doing this, would he?"

That shut me up good. I listened as Tseng continued, "We're going to need everyone's cooperation for this. Rufus trust you enough to let you roam around as you please, but this is unacceptable. If he hears that you are causing trouble for what he wants, it'll be something you'll have to deal with on your own."

"...I know that." I didn't like the thought of being kicked out of ShinRa. It didn't feel right, I've been with them forever. As pathetic as it sounds, I'd be nothing if I were let loose.

"Ah, by the way Reno," Tseng said, as if remembering something. "I saw Ms. Lockheart yesterday."

I felt my ears perk up like a dog. If I had a tail, it would've been wagging, though I didn't know why I was feeling so giddy at the mention of Tifa's name when I was being a miserable ass just moments earlier. I looked at Tseng, trying not to look too curious. "Oh? What for?"

"A drink."

"I doubt that." He was probably pestering her about Cloud too.

"She wanted me to tell you something."

I raised a curious eyebrow. "Yes?"

"She has your badge."

"Huh?" I shot up from the bed and immediately searched through my pockets.

My ShinRa badge was gone.

"That sly, sneaky, martial artist eagle-staring..." I began, but Tseng cut me off.

"If you want it back, you should go get it."

"Why didn't _you_ get it for me?" I demanded, flustered.

"I didn't think it'd be such a hard task for a King." Tseng joked. I didn't laugh.

- - -

I don't understand how I could have forgotten about my badge. How the heck did she take it in the first place? Thinking back, it must've been when I was really close to her that other time... dammit. I really _did_ let my guard down. That woman! I'll get her back... I'll just have to try not to let Rude or the others know. They can't ever keep their mouths shuts anymore.

_Tifa's 7th Heaven_ was written on the door of her bar. I was afraid to go in. Would she be alone? Would the orphans she was living with be there? Was Cloud with her? I pushed these thoughts off my head as I opened the door. To my relief, it was as quiet as dawn. The door creaked slightly as I closed it and my footsteps echoed softly as I walked to the counter. I sat down and tapped my fingers on the hard, smooth surface, waiting.

"Did you come back for this?" came Tifa's familiar voice. I looked up and saw her walking towards me, holding my badge. She didn't look happy, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes as she slid the badge across the table to me.

"I'm only here for this." I grabbed it and placed it in my pocket. "Thanks." For some reason, I felt like I wasn't lying only to her but also to myself as I walked away. She didn't say anything as I walked out the door. Once the door was completely closed, I leaned on it, a bit confused. Something in me didn't want it to just end like this, another told me that this was all I needed to do. I found myself leaning in for the other side, wanting to settle this differently. I lightly pounded the back of my head against the door, murmuring, "Dammit..." under my breath.

I haven't been acting myself lately... and this was one of those days.

I went back inside. Tifa looked up for a second, then returned her attention to wiping the glass cup she was holding. I took a glance at her hands–they really _were_ small. It's amazing that she fights with them. Siting across from her as she did her work, I folded my hands nervously across the table, twiddling with my fingers. She seemed to be waiting for me to say something, anything. I opened my mouth a couple of times, but the words didn't come out. She didn't seem to realize it–or so I thought.

"Having trouble talking?" she asked, placing down the glass cup she was wiping. Her eyes burned onto me. I gulped.

"N-no!" I stammered.

She smiled flatly. "It seems so."

I watched her out of the corner of my eyes as she placed the glass cup away. When she had her back to me, I stared at her and managed to say, "I'm not here because I want to." Or was I? The moment she turned to face me, I quickly shifted my gaze elsewhere, like behind her instead of _at_ her. She folded her arms. For that moment her eyes weren't on me but were studying the areas around us, as if she were thinking about something.

When she looked at me again, she suddenly asked, "Where have you been the last two weeks?"

I looked at her, surprised. "Huh?"

"Rude told me that you disappeared."

"Around." I answered. Slowly, my mouth curved into a grin. "Were you worried?"

Tifa chuckled, a small, lonely smile shown on her face. "If it's concerning you, no."

Ouch. This woman doesn't mince words, does she?

"Heh, all right." I was beginning to feel a tad comfortable, though the dreaded feeling that still hung over my shoulders wasn't at all gone. Tifa said nothing more afterwards, I assumed it was my turn to speak.

"Huh..." I started, unsure of what to say or ask. "Tseng said he came by. What for?"

Tifa shrugged her shoulders. "For the same reason as you when you came by."

I thought so. I was about to ask her if she'd treat me to another drink, but the phone rang in Cloud's office rang. It rung endlessly, but Tifa didn't move. Her hands were relaxed by her side, but her expression had suddenly returned to its lonely, far away look. I stared at her and asked, "Aren't you going to answer that?"

She snapped back to reality. "O-of course. Excuse me..." she left to answer the call. I waited quietly in the bar, staring at the ceiling and the walls until she came back. The silent and awkward atmosphere I felt two weeks ago when I stepped inside returned. She sat down two seats from me, staring at the counter's surface. Her black hair fell across her shoulders, almost covering her whole face. She placed some of her hair behind her ears, revealing her crestfallen expression.

"...What was that about?" I asked even though I knew the answer.

"Just... another job for Cloud." Tifa answered. I was surprised that her voice wasn't wavering.

"And you're okay with that? With him away all the time?"

She looked at me but didn't answer.

"_No. I'm not okay with it." _her face said.

I stood up and walked closer to where she sat, but not too close that I was invading her space. I didn't want a repeat of what happened last time. "You know..." I began, though I didn't think anything I said would be of much help. "If you don't speak up, nothing will change."

"I don't want to impose my wishes on Cloud." The way she said his name was so soft and tender, I quietly simmered with jealousy.

"It's too bad..." I shook my head, not certain if should finish my sentence or not.

When I didn't finish, Tifa urged, "What?"

I looked away. "...He doesn't realize that what he needs is right here."

"..."

I chuckled to fill in the awkward silence. "I said something out of line..." Wait–was I apologizing? Not now!

"No, it's fine." Tifa replied quietly. "I just... don't think Cloud is ready to move on yet." she turned around in her chair to face me. She was smiling softly. "That was sweet of you though, Reno, thank you."

"Ah... yeah..." I wasn't expecting that, but when she said my name I felt strange. Regardless of how I felt, she surely had strong feelings for Cloud and I just didn't know how to cope with that.

"This is probably a bad time to ask but..." I sat back down.

"Yes?"

"Can I have something to drink?"

- - -

I don't know how much I had–but I remember my mind was dizzy and distorted. My words came out all slurred and my vision was unfocused. Tifa, however, was the only thing that looked perfectly clear in my mind. Oh, and she wasn't drinking with me. That woman knows better. Was I disappointed? I'll keep that to myself. As for what I said that night, I probably spoke of things that she wasn't supposed to know, but I wouldn't remember and I don't care enough to.

"And Rude! Boy, he's such a pain in the ass..." I had blabbed to Tifa. "This one time we all went out to eat and–hic–he made me pay the tab! And let me tell ya! It–hic–wasn't cheap!"

"He wouldn't do it without good reason, wouldn't he?" Tifa asked. She had listened to me from the beginning. At the time I thought nothing of it, but thinking back all I ever did was talk about myself. I realized that she was listening without complaint and even laughing every so often. I don't remember much besides her laugh–it sounded like clear bells.

"I dunno, but Rude was saying that it was _my_ idea. I don't–hic–remember it..."

I felt my head fall and hit something hard–the counter. That snapped me awake for a moment but I was still feeling rather woozy. "Ow..." I mumbled. The cup I was holding suddenly slipped from my grasp.

"That's enough for tonight." Tifa said with a sigh. I could hear the water running as she washed my cup and the cupboards opening and closing. I probably knocked out for a few minutes because when I came to, she was done and already sitting back in her seat (which was still one chair farther from mine). I painfully shifted my head on the counter so I was facing her. She didn't seem to notice that I was looking at her because she simply continued staring off into the distance, unaware of her surroundings.

"What... time is it?" I managed to ask, my throat dry and tired.

I thought I saw her smile, but my vision was too blurry to make anything out. She replied, "It's past midnight."

I blinked. What was she doing just sitting there then? Was she... waiting for me to wake up? I guess I was passed out longer than I thought. All I said to that was, "Oh..."

"Are you all right to walk back by yourself?" she asked. Even though I had been such a pain in the ass tonight, she was still being so considerate. Any other chick would've thrown me out right now.

"Yeah, I guess I am..." I tried to get up but my legs wouldn't move. Great, what now? I didn't want to tell her though, she'd just show me even more of the consideration that I didn't friggin' have and I'd get even more nuts about these crazy feelings swelling up inside me. I tried to get up anyway but I stumbled and fell into the seat beside Tifa. Stupid legs. Cooperate with me, dammit!

I chuckled.

"Reno?" Tifa said, confused.

"You know, I'm... kind of tired though..." I laughed. My arms that had been keeping me balanced gave away and I felt my body falling towards Tifa. I didn't fall far enough before I felt something soft against my face. And what was that sweet aroma? It smelled familiar...

"R-reno?" Tifa repeated. It was then that I realized I had fallen on her chest–and about to pass out again, no less. I grasped onto the counter, trying to pull myself up. Damn, but I felt so exhausted...

"Sorry... am I too close?" Even at a time like this I kept laughing. Or was I really this hung over?

"Yes, you are." Tifa replied awkwardly.

"Oh..." I closed my tired eyes. "But I don't consider being close enough... unless I'm feeling your heartbeat..."

I relaxed my head and it lolled to the side. After a few seconds, I began to hear a soft rhythmic pattern, like the beating of a drum but from a distance. At that moment I knew I was definitely too close–but I didn't care. "Tifa..." I whispered her name silently. Though she didn't answer, I knew she was listening. "I'm sorry... about before..."

Her heartbeat, aside from her almost silent breaths, was the last thing I heard before I slept.

- - -

I never saw her again after that. Best to leave things as they are than to stir things up. Also, we decided to give Cloud a little break from all the chasing. It should give him and Tifa some time to work things out–if they're willing to. I still have some mixed feelings about that day (_and_ that crazy night). I don't want to mistake it for anything though. It was a good experience... though I'm not sure if that's all I'll ever want...

Sitting in my office, I stared up at the ceiling, bored from the little work I received. It had ben a few months, some pretty hectic things happened recently and everyone was on edge. I was about to doze off when suddenly, Rude burst into my office.

"Get a hold of Cloud." he demanded.

"What?" I thought we gave up on chasing him?

"Tell him to come to Healin immediately."

"How?"

"There's only one way how." He shut the door before I could protest any further. With a sigh, I stared at my pile of books and notes scattered across my desk. I fished out a number I had written down long ago and plugged it into the phone.

As I had thought, the phone began ringing endlessly.

_Ring... ring...  
__Ring... ring...  
__Ring... ring..._

I didn't give up, I kept waiting. There was only one person I knew who would answer the phone regardless of her wishes. I don't know... maybe I just wanted to hear her voice again. I seriously thought she wasn't going to answer at all when suddenly, "Hello, Strife Delivery service."

I grinned, and without waiting for her to finish, I cut in, "Yo, remember me?"

There was a pause on the other end. Then, "Yeah, I remember you."


End file.
